Box-cover fastener.



B. TUKIS.

BOX UOVER FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1909.

961,990, Patented June 21,1910.

I ,Illllllll ANDREW B GRAHAM c0 Pnurc-munamwsws. WASHINGION. D. a

BOX-COVER FASTENER.

Application filed December 27, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENEDICT TUKIS, of Cambridge, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Box- Gover Fasteners, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to boxes, and more particularly to so-calledsafety boxes, that is, boxes having a secret lock.

One object of the invention is to provide a box equipped with a lockingmechanism which may only be operated by those familiar with the methodof doing so, and which is wholly hidden from view.

A further object is to provide a box equipped with a secret lockingmechanism, there being no visible indication on the exterior of the boxas to the location of the mechanism, or its control.

Other features of the invention will be referred to in connection withthe specific description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

The invention will be readily understood from an inspection of theaccompanying drawings and the following description of the constructionshown therein.

In said drawings Figure 1, is a perspective view of the exterior of thebox, Fig. 2, is a fragmentary side elevation of the controllingmechanism of the lock, Fig. 3, is a fragmentary plan view of the same,and Fig. 4, is a sectional end elevation of the box and lockingmechanism.

As shown in the accompanying drawings the box comprises a body portion10, and a cover or closure 12, mounted thereon by means of a hinge 14.The hinge 14 is pivotally connected to the cover. The cover 12, and thebottom 16, are shaped to represent a book, and the side walls of thebody portion are shaped to represent a row of books standing on end.This construction is for ornamental purposes to adapt the box for use asa jewel or picture case, although anyother outer configuration may begiven to the box. The exterior of the box is covered with leather orother suitable material 17 which adds to the attractiveness of the boxand also provides means for hiding from view the controlling mechanismfor the lock.

Mounted upon the under side of the cover 12 is a screw 18, the head 19of which forms a projection which is adapted to be engaged by the hookedend 20 of the resilient arm 21 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Serial No. 535,132.

secured to a suitable support 22 mounted within the front wall of thebody portion of the box. A spring arm 24 is mounted upon' the under sideof a plate 25 held within the front wall of the box. The end 26 of thearm 24 acts as the stop to limit the inward movement of the arm 21, sothat the hooked end 20 will be in proper position to co-act with thehead or projection 19. The upper extremity of the end 26 bears againstthe under side of the screw head 19, as shown in Fig. 4, when the coveris in its closed position, and operates to spring the cover upwardslightly when it is unlocked, thus indicating when the box is unlocked.

In order to control the unlocking of the box, a lever 30 is fulcrumed at31 and provided with the forwardly projecting upper end 32 which isadapted to engage the resilient arm 21 to push the hooked end 20 out ofengagement with the head or projection 19. The lower end 34 of the lever30 extends forwardly, and is provided with a thumb piece 36 which moveswithin a slot or recess 37 formed in the front wall of the box. Thisthumb piece is hidden from view, as indicated in Fig. 1, by the covering17 which may be readily pressed in when the thumb piece is manipulated.Normally, the lever 30 is locked against operation by a stop 40 carriedby one end of bar 42, which is mounted to slide between guides 44 and 45carried by a plate 46. A notch or recess 48 is formed near the end ofthe bar 42 adjacent the stop 40 and is adapted to receive the end 34 ofthe lever 30 when said bar is moved longitudinally, as will behereinafter described. A rod 50 is secured to the bar 42 and is mountedto slide in bearings 51 and 52 on the plate 46. A finger piece 54 ismounted upon the outer end of the rod 50 and moves within a slot orrecess 55 formed in the body portion of the box. This finger piece isalso hidden from view, as indicated in Fig. 1, by the covering of thebox. The stop 40 is normally held in looking position by means of acoiled spring 56, which embraces the rod 50 and extends between ashoulder 58 on the rod, and the bearing 51.

The locking mechanism may be conveniently manipulated by pressing thefinger piece 54 with the forefinger to push the bar 42 longitudinallyand bring the notch 48 opposite the end 34 of the lever. Then with thethumb pressure is exerted upon the thumb piece 36 to tilt the lever 30and force the upper hooked end 20, of the arm 21 free from theprojection 19. Thereupon the spring 24; will raise the front edge of thecover slightly to indicate that the box has been unlocked.

From the construction above set forth, it will be noted that the entirelocking mechanism is entirely hidden from view when the box is closed,and there is no visible ex ternal indication of the means by which thelock may be manipulated or controlled. It thus formsin effect a box witha secret lock and one which is adapted for use as a jewel case orpicture receptacle and its outer configuration lends itself readily toornamentation.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and thepreferred embodiment of the invention having been specificallydescribed, What is claimed is:

1. A box, having, in combination, a body portion, a closure therefor, aprojection on one of said members, means on the'other of said membersfor cooperating with said proj ection to hold the closure in closedposition, and means wholly hidden from view and operated from aplurality of points for controlling the operation of said holding means,substantially as described.

2. A box, having, in combination, a body portion, a closure therefor, aprojection on one of said members, a catch on the other of said memberscooperating with said projection to hold the closure in closed position,

means operated from a plurality of points for controlling the operationof said catch, and a flexible sheet of material arranged to hide saidcontrolling means from view, substantially as described.

3. A box, having, in combination, a body portion, a closure therefor,means for holding the closure in closed position, and means whollyhidden from view within the body portion, but adapted to be operated ata plurality of points from the outside thereof, for controlling theoperation of the holding means, substantially as described.

4. A box, having, in combination, a body portion, a closure therefor, aprojection on the closure, a catch for engaging the projection, a levercarried by the body portion and adapted to engage said catch to free itfrom said projection, and means for preventing the operation of saidlever to free said catch from said projection, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with a support, of a lock having a projectionmounted on the support, a resilient catch adapted to engage theprojection, a lever for engaging and moving the catch out of en agementwith the projection, means norma ly preventing -the manual operation ofthe lever to free said catch from said projection, and means for freeingthe lever to allow manual operation thereof, substantially as described.

6. In a lock, the combination of a support, a catch carried by thesupport, a lever mountedon the support and adapted to engage and operatethe catch, means tending normally to prevent the manual operation of thelever to free said catch from said projection, and means for freeing thelever from said preventive means to allow manual operation of the lever,substantially as described.

7 In a lock, the combination of a support, a lever mounted on thesupport, a bar slidably mounted on said support, a spring arranged topress the bar into the path of travel of one end of the lever to preventthe normal manual operation of the lever, and means whereby the bar maybe manually moved to free the lever, substantially as described.

8. A box, having, in combination, a body portion, a closure therefor, aprojection on one of said members, a catch on the other-of said membersadapted to automatically engage said projection when the closure is inclosed position, a lever adapted to engage and move said catch to freeit from said projection, means tending normally topreve-nt the manualoperation of said lever to free said catch from said projection, andmeans for freeing said lever from said preventive means, substantiallyas described.

9. A box, having, in combination, a body portion, a closure therefor, aprojection on the closure, a catch on the body portion adapted toautomatically engage said proj ection when the closure is in closedposition, a lever mounted upon the body portion and arranged to presssaid catch out of engagement with said projection, a stop normallypressed into the path of travel of one end of said lever to prevent themanual operation of said lever to free said catch, andmeans for movingsaid stop out of the path of travel of said lever to permit the manualoperation of said lever, substantially as described.

1(). In a lock, the combination with a projection, of a catch adapted toengage the projection, alever for moving said catch, a slidable bar,means arranged to normally press the bar into the path of travel of oneend of the lever, and means whereby the bar may be moved to free'thelever to allow normal operation thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

BENEDICT TUKIS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. 'SPERL, ALoNzo B. 000K.

